Why India is Safe For Solo Female Travelers

It seems even the most experienced backpackers and solo world travelers still haven’t paid a visit to the world’s most populous, diverse & colorful country on the planet, AKA India. India is a beckoning call for backpacker’s, yet so few Westerners have made the plunge and visited India, especially solo female travelers. Most of the time people go by the few misleading stories they’ve seen on the news which have been totally blown out of proportion. Rapes, molestations, and other serious crimes against women occur in many countries, even more so than India despite it’s high population. It’s a shame more solo female travelers don’t give India a chance based on a few erroneous misconceptions. Traveling to India was the most incredible experience of my life, and I never regret a second of being there.

Here are some of the many reasons why India is absolutely safe for solo females to experience..

Crossing the border by bus from Nepal to India

1) I Always Felt Safe Walking Around (Even At Night)

In most places I traveled in India, I felt safe traveling alone, even in the middle of the night in big cities such as Delhi. Most of the locals are very peaceful and non-threatening and follow a policy of non-violence, since it’s part of what’s rooted in Indian culture and what is preached in the religion. I found most people to be non-aggressive and if anything they were always willing to go out of their way to help me with things such as directions, recommendations of where to stay, which restaurants to choose, etc.

There are also no guns allowed in India, and unlike in the US I never had to worry about some random shooting happening while going out. If anything, I felt much more afraid while traveling solo in Peru, since the second I walked around the main tourist strip of Lima I witnessed a gang fight breaking out and a man getting tied up and body slammed against the concrete, with police standing around everywhere with AK-47’s watching and doing nothing to help. I don’t know why India gets such a bad rep for solo female travelers, since it’s one of the safest countries I’ve ever visited.

Hidden gems

2) Chivalry is Not Dead (In India, at least)

Most of the time, local men will go above and beyond to help a foreign girl out with finding her way around India. I was always able to find help from locals with finding my way around the city, which sites to visit, where to find quality local restaurants, where to stay..

Most men were more than willing to help me feel warm and welcomed in India. One time I was nearing the end of 8 month long backpacking trip and happened to fall sick that week in Kyankumari, the Southern tip of India. I was crying in the hotel lobby after feeling so exhausted and being sick at the same time. A group of guys working at the front desk walked over and asked if I was ok and were comforting me while I was crying. People in India really do care about others and many times, unlike in the West, will be honest and help you and treat you like a sister, without even expecting anything in return.

Gentlemen

3) Eve Teasing is Not What It’s Made Out to Be in the Media

Yes, sometimes men in India will stare at you if you’re a Westerner and you look different. Eve teasing by definition is a term for “public sexual harassment or sexual assault of women by men“. However, in India it’s meant to be a stare of curiosity rather than a threat. Contrary to all the negative stereotypes of Indian men portrayed in the mainstream media, actually most men in India are quite shy and out of respect will not gawk at women or make crude or lewd comments in public. If anything, I get more disrespectful and lewd comments when walking around the beach in my current city Miami than I ever got walking around India alone.

Biking around solo was always an adventure!

4) Respect

There are countless goddesses within the religion of Hinduism (Which a majority of Indians practice). There’s Lakshmi, Ganga, Tulsi, Sita, Kali, and the list goes on and on. If anything, guys may even fear disrespecting a woman and think it will bring upon them a curse from one of their goddesses! So no need to worry, Hindu men are raised to respect women to the upmost degree. Most of the time I never encountered any disrespect from men in India. Most of the guys will think of their moms/sisters/aunties who they would never dream of disrespecting or treating badly, and if you remind them of this they will feel shame for even thinking they could treat you badly in any way.

Strolling the golden beaches of Goa

5) The Majority of Laws in India Are Female Friendly

Many of the laws in India have changed to be in favor of supporting women and their human rights and dignity. These laws favoring women were enacted to restore the status of women in a primarily male-dominated society. Most of the laws regarding marriage, property, and public offenses are geared in favor of the woman. If a woman even so much as claims a case of harrassment, the police will almost always be on her side and believe in her when she claims abuse.

Even looking different and showing more skin than local women, I never faced disrespect or bad behavior by the local dudes

6) Getting Around is Safe and Easy

I could always find transportation if I needed when traveling around India, any time day or night. Most local buses and trains run all night, 24/7. If I ever needed to find a lift to the train station, there was always a cycle or auto rickshaw waiting a 2 mins walk from me. Despite the high population of India, transportation is very easy to find, and I never once had to struggle with finding a ride anywhere. There was no point during my travels where I was ever stranded on the roadside or lost in the middle of nowhere. Another plus to the population size is there are usually always people around who can offer to help so you never feel lost, even if you are solo.

Make sure to always book your train and bus tickets in advance in India

7) You Can’t Help But Feel Others Are Looking Out For You

Indians are known for taking care of each other and living together as a more collective society. They really do care what society thinks of them and do not want to be portrayed in a negative light. However, even traveling there as a solo female backpacker, you feel the collective eyes of society on you and know there are a lot of genuinely friendly, kind people who would be willing to go out of their way to help if it’s needed. With a population of over 1.4 billion people, it isn’t hard to see why there is always someone around to help if needed.

Your thoughts? I hope you enjoyed reading this! Let me know what you think in the comments below. Don’t forget you can like and share my article using the social media links. I’d love to keep giving you tips and advice so feel free to follow me by clicking on the Follow Box on the right. And don’t forget you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

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About Me

Blossom O'Bradovich

Hi! I’m Blossom, a half Brit/American who left my career in nursing in the U.S. to backpack around the world solo. I spent over 8 months traveling alone in India, Nepal, and SE Asia, all the while living simply out of two backpacks. My first backpacking adventure was in India, where I totally fell in love with travel! My blog includes helpful travel tips for fellow fierce travelers.
How I Became A Traveler